Hjalmar Schacht, Minister of Economic Affairs and the Governor of the German Central bank - who until then had restrained the economic assault on the Jews for pragmatic reasons (to protect the German economy) - resigned his portfolio as Minister for Economic Affairs. This resignation was the first stage in a round of new appointments in which party hard-liners replaced relative moderates in key positions. In early 1938, the Foreign Minister and the Defense Minister also resigned, and the army command was reshuffled.
